Halloween Adventures in B-Movie Horror 2022 Part 2

Back with another dive into B-Movies and this time around I did some time hopping.

For Part 2, I have movies from the 80s, the 90s, and even a flick released this year. Spoiler alert, the newest one was also the worst of the bunch.

Titanic 666 (2022)

I haven’t really watched many Asylum movies for my B-Movie write-ups because it’s pretty much cheating. Any movie that comes out of this studio is basically made to be as obnoxious as possible, each one aiming for schlock.

Keep in mind, this is the studio that put out the “Sharknado” motion pictures.

However, I’m also a person who’s always been fascinated by the Titanic tragedy and the 1997 film has a big place in my heart. So, I decided to check this feature out.

Apparently, this is a sequel to “Titanic II,” which I didn’t see, where a replica of the Titanic is met with a tragedy of its own. This time around, a new Titanic replica, Titanic III, is sailing on the ocean blue.

However, a descendant of a victim in the tragedy who finds the whole voyage distasteful decides to summon the ship’s ghosts to wreak havoc on the replica. Spooky moments ensue.

I’ll give the movie credit. The icy aesthetic the ghosts have, where they appear to be coated in the icy water of the Atlantic, is a good look. That’s all the credit I’ll give this film.

The thing is, movies that have low budgets where the filmmakers are legitimately trying have some charm to them. Films where the cast and crew are purposely making something subpar to create sort of a joke movie lack that charm.

It’s not even that entertaining as a movie you sit back and laugh at. It produces more eye-rolls than anything. Ghosts on the Titanic is a fine idea but it needs a better creative team.

0.5 out of 3 modern ships that still use 100-year-old lifeboats.

Graduation Day (1981)

Another film to cash in on the early 80s slasher crazy, this movie picks up after a track star dies, and her sister, a U.S. Naval officer, comes to find out what happened. Not long after she arrives, other track athletes who are nearing their graduation day begin dying one by one.

I’ll give the movie this, it at least manages to keep hidden who the killer is fairly well. It’s done mainly through a lot of red herrings, but still, the bad guy is not who one expects.

Unfortunately, the movie really lacks any energy or excitement. Whenever a kill isn’t taking place, the movie just feels dull as one watches bad acting unfold. There’s just such little personality in the script and hardly any set-up for suspense.

The movie’s climax leaves a lot to be desired, too. It’s nearly laughable. The kills do manage to salvage things just a bit, especially one including a set of spikes. The movie also benefits from some unique editing that makes it a bit more interesting to look at.

However, there are much better slashers to pick from at this budget level.

1.5 out of 3 deaths by Olympic fencing sword.

Kolobos (1999)

A group of young people are invited to live at a house together and be on camera. When they arrive, though, the place turns out to be a death trap. Made in 1999, this indie film is basically a cross between MTV’s “The Real World” and a psychological slasher.

The result is a relatively good horror feature. I will say upfront that I’m not the biggest fan of how the film depicts mental health, yet there’s simply a lot that works about this movie.

With a bit of an Italian-giallo horror style incorporated, “Kolobos” has an interesting visual identity. The story, meanwhile, is paced well, with the deaths spaced out nicely and some mind-bending intrigue thrown in.

Perhaps best of all, though, are the kills. This one had some really creative deaths, and the great practical effects really win a person over. There’s a fantastic one about midway through featuring a deer head with antlers on the wall.

Even with an ending that was a bit too convoluted for my taste, “Kolobos” is an inventive slasher with a good aesthetic and memorable kills. Not bad at all.

3 out of 3 deadly appliance traps.